An Australian timber company has introduced a new wood treatment process to tackle termite infestation, a problem costing the country’s construction industry more than A$600m a year.
Australian Forest Industries’ Blue 2 water-based process is an automatic system which mechanically lifts individual layers of wood from timber packs and immerses them into a chemical solution before re-stacking into the original pack. The solution does not contain CCA (copper chrome arsenic).
Because timber is taken from finished stocks in an untreated form and then treated, it allows the company to react immediately to market demand, thus avoiding having to carry unused treated stock.
The company says current treatment methods of spraying or dipping whole timber packs from the outside result in interior sides receiving limited coverage.
Blue 2 treated structural timber, which comes with a 25-year guarantee, is being promoted as a low-cost, long-term solution for the housebuilding industry.
Tony Esplin, the company’s chief executive officer, said: “Initial industry feedback from merchants and truss manufacturers to the product has been excellent. The fact that the treated wood is clearly marked through the blue dye gives them added confidence.”
Australian Forest Industries, whose subsidiary Integrated Forest Industries holds a 300,000m3 annual wood supply licence, intends to Blue 2 treat nearly 100% of its structural timber output in the years ahead.
